The Relay by The Who

This song is published by ABKCO MUSIC INC PETE TOWNSHEND CATALOG, CAREERS-BMG MUSIC PUB INC OBO TOWSER TUNES INC, FABULOUS MUSIC LTD and displayed here with permission.
All rights reserved.

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Date: Sun, 25 Jun 1995 22:02:51 GMT
From: kenny@gil.net (Kenny Sahr)
Subject: The Relay - The Who



THE RELAY



INTRO:
E / / / | E / D A | E / / / | E / / / ||
                                  ["You can . . ."]

VERSE I:
[You can] hear it in the streets
E

See it in the dragging feet, The


Word is getting out about Control.


Spies, they've come and gone, The


Story travels on, The


Only private place is inside your soul.


CHORUS:
From tree to tree
D            A

From you to me
D           A

Travelling twice as fast as on an empty freeway
G                   D                   A

Every single dream
D            A

Wrapped up in the scheme
D                 A

They all get carried on in the Relay.
G            D                 A

(Relay)  Things are brewing
B

(Relay)  Something's doing


(Relay)  There's a revolution


(Relay)  Hand me down the solution,
                 C        D

Yeah (Pass it on, etc)
E

GUITAR BREAK:
F# / / / | x 7       F# / G D ||


E / / / | / / / / | E / / / | / / / / |


VERSE II:
Someone disapproves
E

What you say I knew, I was


Asked to see if I could really learn you


Don't believe your eyes, They're


Telling only lies


What was done in the first place don't concern you.


CHORUS II:
From tree to tree
D            A

From you to me
D           A

Travelling twice as fast as on an empty freeway
G                   D                   A

Every single dream
D            A

Wrapped up in the scheme
G                 D

They all get carried on in the Relay.
G            D                 A

(Relay)  Things are brewing
B

(Relay)  Something's doing


(Relay)  There's a revolution


(Relay)  Hand me down the solution,
                 C        D

Yeah (Pass it on, etc)
E



*** Note that the E 'chord' throughout the verses is only implied.
The
electric guitar is riffing and picking out notes 'around' an E7 chord 
(eg, E, D, B, etc).  In fact, the riffing is similar to Townshend's
later song
'Eminence Front'.

So, for rhythm guitarists, don't just play a straight E chord through
these
passages.  Break it up by playing only part of the chord (trying not
to
emphasise
the major 3rd of the chord (G#)).

____________________________________________________________________________
______

Kerry, this song is so typical of Townshend's (and many rock
guitarists')
playing
in that the implied tonality is 'E major', but he's actually drawing
on his
'black'
influences to blur the song's tonality.  He does this by using bent
minor
3rd notes 
(G natural), diminished 5th notes (A#), and minor 7th notes (D
natural).
These notes 
in particular give the song (and the E chord, especially) an ambiguous
'minor' feel.  
(This ambiguity is further compounded by the strumming of the acoustic
guitar - which 
IS playing a straight 'E chord'.)

So it gives it a 'black' feel that's very difficult to chart just by
saying 'E'!


Anyway, sorry to go on; I'm sure you know what I mean anyway!!


Jason.

P.S. You mentioned that the chart for 'PUT THE MONEY DOWN' is not very
accurate.
I used to have that book (but lost it accidentally when purging a
bookshelf).
Can you point to some obvious problems with the chart?  I'd like to
compare it
with mine.

Collector of tabs for The Who...
Author of Hebrew language Jordan/Syria Travel Guide